-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Whether it 's dining , shopping , culture , nightlife or people , everybody has a favorite city . Some cities are great places to live and raise a family . Others provide the backdrop for that once-in-a-lifetime vacation .

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis in Santa Fe , New Mexico .

I-Reporters have been telling us about their favorite American cities . Here are some of the highlights .

Jim Thompson sent the photo of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis in Santa Fe , New Mexico , along with this important information : `` Be sure to mention that St. Francis Cathedral has been renamed to St. Francis Basilica . ... The request was made by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and was granted by the Vatican , so now St. Francis is the headquarters for the pope when he comes to Santa Fe . ''

Diana Peters moved to New Orleans in 2003 , and has experienced the city before and after Hurricane Katrina . Her feelings about recovery are complicated . `` But do n't turn your back on New Orleans , because she survives in all of us , especially those of use who still see her beauty in what remains . ''

Josh Gorrell sent the photo of the `` painted ladies '' at Marina Del Rey in southern California . `` My favorite part of living by the coast is the constantly fresh ocean breezes , the year-round sunshine and the wonderful seafood ! Oh , and the surf ! ''

Raymond Lopera 's favorite city in the Los Angeles area is Santa Monica . He lived there briefly when he moved from New York a few years ago and says he goes back every chance he gets . He says Santa Monica is very pedestrian friendly and he enjoys taking long walks , stopping along the way at places like Barnes & Noble or Starbucks .

Nikolai Ursin ca n't get enough of Minneapolis . `` I 'm 28 and able to live a fabulous life because the cost of living is so low , yet the wages are quite high . My friends in N.Y.C. are jealous . I travel a lot for work and there is nothing quite like landing in Minneapolis and knowing I 'm home . ''

I-Reporter Chris Fuhriman is a captain in the Army and completing a master 's degree in geography at the University of Hawaii . Fuhriman moved to Honolulu from Utah three years ago with his wife and two children . `` His favorite thing about Honolulu ? `` The international flavor of the city , and the diversity . It 's really a city for everyone . ''

Russell Clayton says there 's `` far too much to do '' in Austin , Texas . Then he went on to list a wide variety of outdoor activities , including hiking , swimming , mountain biking , kayaking and canoeing . Clayton says the city 's unofficial motto is `` Keep Austin Weird . '' E-mail to a friend

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I-Reporters weigh in with photos and comments about their favorites